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With the Spring Equinox nearing, planning now will give you the joy you desire not just this season but the beautiful perennial flower bed will be with you for years to come.

Planting perennial flowers means that they’ll be a food source for bees, butterflies, and other pollinators for years. Here are some great pics for your flower beds.

Aster

There are many, many varieties of aster to choose from. The star-shaped flowers come in purples, pinks, and whites and often bloom in the fall, making it a great nectar source when many springtime flowers have stopped blooming.

Cranesbill Geranium

This is not the neon-bright geranium your grandma used to grow. Cranesbill geraniums are delicate looking, low-growing perennial flowers that attract bees with their pink and purple blooms.

Echinacea

Also known as coneflower, you might be more familiar with Echinacea as a health supplement. Turns out, that supplement is made from this plant that sports gorgeous pink flowers that attract bees.

Lavender

You know it for its fragrance; bees love it for the flowers. The flowers differ in shape from variety to variety, but all are attractive to honey bees. Lavender is also considered a culinary herb and can be used to flavour some of your kitchen creations.

Mint

While humans are generally more interested in the leaves of mint, the flowers are desirable to bees.

Mint can be invasive, though — be sure to plant it in an area where it can run rampant or in a pot where it will remain contained.

Monarda

Commonly known as Bee Balm, Monarda is a member of the mint family. In addition to attracting pollinators to your garden, Monarda can be used to flavor drinks and is used medicinally. There are both annual and perennial varieties of bee balm and many different types of flowers that attract bees.

Salvia

There are both annual and perennial varieties of salvia. They’re all great for attracting bees, but if you choose a perennial variety you’ll enjoy the benefits for many seasons.

Scabiosa

This low growing perennial attracts pollinators with purple or pink flowers that seem to float above the leaves on long stems. They’re a great cut flower, too — just be sure to leave some for the bees and butterflies.

Thyme

You know this as a go-to herb in your spice cupboard, but the small flowers on thyme are very attractive to bees. Thyme grows low; try the variety “Mother of Thyme” for a great ground cover that will make the bees happy and be useful to you as well. Basil is another herb that really attracts bees.

Bonus

Buckwheat is not a perennial; in fact, it’s a very fast to bloom annual that’s kaput in just a couple of months. But if you want to attract bees to your yard in a hurry, it is highly recommended that you add it to your repertoire.